On February 11, 2014, the Consulate General of India, New York, in collaboration with Diamonds and Gemstone Industry, New York, organized an event to celebrate the success of ‘Jaipur Foot’ in serving the humanity and to honourPadma Bhushan Mr. Devendra Raj Mehta, Founder & Chief Patron of the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a Non-Government Organization, set up in 1975 to provide the world renowned Jaipur Foot free of cost to disabled persons.

Consul General, Amb. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, in his welcome remarks, expressed happiness in hosting the event to felicitate Mr. D. R. Mehta, a remarkable visionary, and encouraged members of the audience to reach out in this noble cause. Till now, 1.4 million ‘Jaipur Foot’ have been donated in twenty seven countries around the globe including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Zambia. The self-lubricating ‘Stanford-Jaipur Knee’ developed by Stanford University along with the BMVSS has been successfully introduced. Now the research projects with MIT for the development of a new knee joint and ‘Jaipur Hand’ with Stanford University are underway.

Mr. D. R. Mehta spoke about BMVSS which has rehabilitated more than 1.4 million amputees due to landmine blasts and accidents and also polio patients by fitting artificial limbs (Jaipur Foot variations), calipers, and other aids and appliances across the world enabling the disabled people to walk again.Eventhough, its major contribution is in India, during the last two decades, the Jaipur Foot has become a symbol of Indian humanitarian assistance in war-torn and terrorists areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Mr. Vibhor Dhadda, a young admirer of work undertaken by Mr. Mehta, gave a brief insight on the BMVSS in providing the Jaipur Foot to all those who approach them. Mr Manish Dhadda shared his personal experiences with BMVSS which was shown in a video “Jaipur Foot - Arjun”.

More than 150 people attended the event which included members of the business community, officials of the Consulate, academicians and media representatives. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Ashok Sancheti.

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